ORR project still incomplete

The Outer Ring Road project (ORR), described as a jewel in Hyderabad’s crown, has stretched beyond the set deadline.

The project is not yet fully complete with pendency of execution of Kandlakoya junction portion of the ORR because of litigation.

The 158-km-long ORR project took off overcoming initial hiccups and obstructions. It has undergone changes in alignment many times to save lands belonging to the bigwigs.

The project, commenced a decade ago, is suffering from severe time lag. The objective was to complete it by 2012. The deadline stretched by four years with frequent changes in its alignment.

On the Ghatkesar-Gachchi Bowli stretch of the ORR, the yet to be executed Kandlakoya junction is posing problems to vehicle riders.

At many places, the service roads are not yet executed causing hardships to people living in the outskirts.
According to criticism, even after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao inspecting the ORR twice and directing officials to complete service roads as early as possible, there is no considerable improvement in the situation.

The outer service road linking Vijayawada, Nizamabad, Warangal and Karimnagar cities with the ORR are not yet completed.

The Peddaamberpet-Bacharam circle service road and the one across Musi River are only partly completed. Consequently, the vehicle riders have to travel an additional five km to reach Ghatkesar. On Ghatkesar-Kandlakoya stretch, laying of service roads is still pending.

Further, at many places railway tracks have become a major hurdle in executing service roads. Litigation has been delaying the execution of the roads at these places.

The criticism is that the officials are not focusing on laying the service roads though the ORR project is almost complete barring the Kandlakoya junction stretch of the road.

The court cases for executing the service roads at Kandlakoya, Gachchi Bowli, Ghatkesar and Shamshabad did not appear to come to a head even now.

People of the localities attribute it to the officials hastily going about the ORR project without first taking necessary permission from railway authorities.

They say that they have to take a circuitous route even to travel to the neighbouring villages.